THE LONG-TERM EFFECTIVENESS OF A SMARTPHONE APPLICATION TO REDUCE SEDENTARY TIME IN PRIMARY CARE. EVIDENT II STUDY

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of adding an app to standardized counselling in order to reduce sedentary time Design and method: Multicenter clinical trial with 12 month-follow up, including 833, recruited by random sampling in six primary care centers (415vs418). Interventions: Counseling on healthy and active lifestyle was given to both groups by a nurse. The intervention group (IG) received additional training in the use of an app that was designed to promote active lifestyle and healthy nutrition over a 3-month period. Measures: Sedentary time by Marshall sitting questionnaire and Physical Activity by 7-day Physical Activity Recall (PAR) questionnaire. Results: Mean age was 51y. (SD12) in the IG and 52.3 (SD12.0) in the group of only counseling (CG); women predominated in both groups (60.0% and 64.1%y). In the baseline assessment, 114 (27.5%) were active in IG and 118 (28.2%) in CG (p = 0.807). The total sedentary hours per week (h/w) were 42.2 ± 17.8 in IG 41.4 ± 17.9 in CG (p = 0.506). There were also no difference in the hours of transport, work or watching television. At 3 months there was a decrease in the sedentary time in both groups, IG:-0.37 h/w (95%CI:-1.75to1.01) and CG:0.77 h/w (95%CI-2.13to0.59), without intragroup or intergroup difference. Only a significant decrease of time was observed in watching television in IG:-1.18 (95%CI-2.21to-0.14); p = 0.026, but not in CG:-0.36 (CI95%:-1.35to0.62), p = 0.466. Difference was not reached when comparing the changes between both groups (p = 0.613). At 12 months, there was a small increase in sedentary lifestyles in IG:1.03 (95%CI:-0.52to2.58); p = 0.191 and in CG:1.85 (95%CI0.41to3.30) p = 0.012, although it only reached statistical significance in the second, but not when comparing both groups (p = 0.445). There was also an increase in time watching TV in the CG:1.84hw (95%CI 0.66to3.02) p = 0.002, but not in IG. The comparison of the change between both groups did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.061). Conclusions: The intervention based on applications for Smartphone to promote healthy and active lifestyle decreased sedentary time, especially in leisure time in IG and increased in the control group with respect to the baseline, but without reaching the significance when comparing the changes between both groups.